A Perfect Likeness (9 page)

It didn’t work, the report wasn’t coming together. Trish screwed up the third piece of paper, throwing it across the office in anger. She was looking at her watch every five minutes or so. Her anger was aimed at Jackie. ‘Why isn’t she here, I thought she was my friend?’ she shouted. ‘How could she do this to me?’ She was shaking and needed a drink. By eleven o’clock the craving had become intolerable. She opened the drinks cabinet and found it had been emptied. Jackie had cleared all the alcoholic drinks while Trish slept off her last binge. They were locked in the boot of her car. Trish swore aloud and paced the office, her nerves in pieces. She wiped perspiration from her brow. The palms of her hands were sticky with sweat. She had no choice, The Study had been open for fifteen minutes and it was her only means of relief.

*

‘Hello, Mack, don’t say anything, just give me a G & T please.’

‘Morning, Trish, are you sure you should have one? Maybe a glass of wine would be better?’

‘I know what I want so don’t argue, just give me the bloody drink.’

‘Okay, okay, don’t get excited, it’s coming.’

The Study had a good lunchtime trade, mostly students and Mack was busy, but he still managed to keep an eye on Trish. He didn’t like what he was watching and took his mobile from beside the till and brought up Jackie’s number. He hesitated before pressing the dial button remembering Jackie was on a course and decided he’d wait a while longer.

‘Another one, Mack, and don’t you dare say a word.’

He did as instructed then went to the far end of the bar and sent a message to Jackie. He couldn’t wait any longer.

‘What’s the problem, Mack, is it Trish?’ asked Jackie calling back within a minute.

‘Afraid so. She’s been here a good forty-five minutes and now on her second G & T. She’s already bitten my ear off once and I don’t want to cause trouble in a busy bar. Sorry Jackie.’

‘Don’t worry, we’ve just finished and I’m not bothered about the hospitality bit after. I’ll be there in ten minutes.’

It was a long ten minutes for Mack, hoping it was Jackie each time the bar door opened. He continued his watch on Trish and occasionally their eyes met, albeit momentary. Trish, angry with herself for being unable to cope with a few hours on her own and Mack, similarly angry, but for being unable to help the woman he was deeply in love with.

Twelve minutes after his call Jackie walked in and made straight for Trish’s Corner. ‘You could have waited for me to join you for an aperitif,’ said Jackie. She half expected Trish to become angry at her arrival. ‘I had a bad morning, the course was real boring. Hi, Mack, nothing for me at the moment thanks.’ She winked and he acknowledged with a discreet nod.

Trish didn’t move, she clutched her glass with both hands as if it were filled with gold. To Trish it was gold. She cried as she spoke. ‘Sorry, Jackie, I failed again. Couldn’t make it. Three bloody hours and I couldn’t make it. And to make matters worse I flew at Mack. He must hate me and I know he is trying his hardest to help me.’

‘Don’t worry about Mack and he doesn’t hate you. Far from it. Come on, let’s go home and I’ll knock up something to eat. What do you fancy?’ asked Jackie taking hold of her arm and gently easing her away from the bar.

Trish was reluctant to leave without emptying her glass and looked back in disbelief as Mack threw the remainder of her precious liquid down the sink. ‘Nothing, but I suppose I could push down an omelette and a few chips.’

‘Don’t worry, Mack, she’ll be alright now,’ said Jackie. ‘I’ll settle up with you tomorrow when she’s at the meeting.’

‘No you won’t, wouldn’t dream of it.’

Trish slipped her arm through Jackie’s. ‘Hey, not so much of this arm in arm business,’ whispered Jackie, ‘people will think we’re a couple of lesbians.’

‘Might not be a bad idea, got to be safer than going out with another man!’ They laughed their way out of The Study.

*

‘How did you get on with the report?’ said Jackie walking into the office beating a bowl of eggs with a fork.

‘Managed an hour then things tailed off. I got as far as the meeting at Maxfords. Jackie, why am I so nervous about tomorrow? I know I am going to blow it again.’

‘No reason why you should, but stop thinking you are going to fail at every little obstacle. Look, I’ve got an idea that could cheer us both up. How about a trip to the hairdressers this afternoon? Let’s get ourselves pampered for a while.’

‘Sounds a good idea, but …’

‘Too late for an argument, I booked it for you this morning as a reward for being a good girl.’

‘But I failed miserably.’

‘Okay, so you failed, then you need cheering up even more.’

Chapter 6

Neither spoke on the short journey to the hall. Trish had no intention of doing so and Jackie was too afraid. She desperately wanted to say something that would calm her nerves, but knew the slightest wrong word would send Trish through the roof. She reluctantly accepted the silence as the safest option. The car stopped in the bus-stop bay right outside the old town hall building, but Trish made no attempt to get out. Jackie placed a hand on her arm. ‘You don’t need it, Trish, but good luck. I know it’s hard for you, but it will be just fine, I promise you. There is nothing to be worried about. Everyone who will be there is, or has been, in the same position as you. Look, I’m going home now so give me a call when you’ve finished and I’ll come and pick you up.’

Trish said nothing, got out of the car and disappeared into the council’s meeting centre without looking back.

Jackie had expected the call at midday, although there was no set finishing time, but it never came. She waited another hour before deciding to go to the centre in the slight hope the meeting was still on. It wasn’t, the building was closed and the metal shutters pulled across the entrance and padlocked. As a last hope Jackie returned to the office, thinking Trish may have decided on taking the bus and they had crossed. She fumbled with the keys before finding the right one. ‘Hi,Trish are you home?’ Jackie shouted out. ‘No, you’re not, are you?’ Her voice now revealing an anger that rarely showed, even though she hadn’t really expected her to be there. A flashing red light drew her attention towards the answer-phone. Maybe it was Trish, she thought, but hesitated a moment before pressing the play button. ‘I knew it wouldn’t be her,’ she shouted in exasperation as the recorded message began.

‘Hello, Trish, this is Jane. I was expecting you at our meeting this morning, but obviously you couldn’t make it. I hope everything is alright. Perhaps you could give me a call. Bye.’

Jackie slumped in the chair and cried. ‘What on earth possessed me to go along with this, it was a failure from the start. Trish, you stupid, stupid woman, where are you hiding?’ She tried her mobile phone. It was turned off. She dialled Mack.

‘Hi, Jackie, what’s the problem?’

‘Sorry, Mack, can you come over straight away?’

‘On my way.’ He shouted instructions to the barmaids and was out of the door before he’d returned the phone to his shirt pocket.

‘Where’s Trish? What’s she done now?’ He knew it was serious this time.

‘She’s disappeared. I dropped her off for the meeting and watched her go in but she failed to attend and now I don’t know where she is. What shall we do, Mack? I’ve had enough, doesn’t she want to get better?’ Jackie started crying again.

‘Calm down, Jackie, will you. Tears won’t help.’ He placed an arm around her shoulders and gently squeezed. ‘I know it’s hard, but please don’t give up on her.’ He checked his watch. ‘She’s only been missing three and a half hours, much too soon for the police to get concerned. Suggest we look around some likely areas such as the beach, the park and, of course, pubs. Pretty hopeless task I know, but at least we’ll be doing something. What about her mobile?’

‘Tried it twice and it’s turned off. Mack, you’re too busy at the pub, I’ll go by myself.’

‘Not on your life, do you reckon I could sit back and do nothing when I love this woman the way I do?’

‘Sorry, of course not.’

‘I’ve told the staff they are going to have to cope for a while without me. I can trust them.’

They searched for close on three hours, but not a sign of Trish. They called a halt at six-thirty and returned to the office, both as low as they could get and both fearing the worst although neither said as much.

‘I’ve got to phone the police,’ said Jackie, already dialling the number. ‘I know they are not going to do anything yet, but at least we’ll know if there has been an accident. We can’t sit around doing nothing.’ Mack nodded his agreement. ‘Come on, come on,’ said Jackie willing the officer to hurry his check of the incident reports.

‘No, Ma’am, no one of that description has been involved in any reported incident. I suggest you call again in the morning, after nine o’clock. I’ll make a note you have contacted us and should we get anything I’ll call you straight away.’

‘Nothing, Mack. Have to call again in the morning. Why don’t you go back to The Study, I expect your staff are getting worried about
you
now. I’ll stay here and hope she calls. Give me a call when you shut shop.’

Mack was on edge all evening and allowed no drinking time. He locked the bar and ran across the road. ‘No news, of course?’

‘Nothing. I’ve tried her mobile many times, but it’s always off. I’m frightened, Mack. In her state of mind she could do almost anything.’

‘Me too. I’m staying with you, just in case.’

It was half past two and they were on their fourth cup of coffee when the phone rang. Jackie got there first. ‘Yes, hello, who is it?’

‘May I speak to Jackie, please,’ said a calm male voice.

‘Yes, it’s me. Jackie Salter.’ She gave an involuntary shiver, expecting the worst.

‘Port Police here, Miss Salter, at Dover. We have a Miss Lister here, in the cells. Afraid she is more than a little the worse for drink. The Captain refused her permission to embark on the ferry to France because of her condition and we were called. Tell you what, she put up quite a struggle for her size. And, can you believe, she didn’t want to come with us. Can’t understand why because we’re quite nice guys really.’ He sounded amused, clearly trying to reduce the shock effect on Jackie.

She placed her hand over the mouthpiece. ‘Mack, she’s okay, but drunk and in the cells at Dover.’ She removed her hand. ‘Is she alright, Officer? She’s been having major problems of late.’

‘She’s fine, Miss, don’t worry about her. The doctor has seen her and says she’s going to have a belter of a head when she wakes up, but nothing more. Can you come and collect her?’

‘Yes, but it is going to take a couple of hours to get there. Are you going to charge her?’

‘No, Miss, I don’t think that will serve any purpose. I reckon we can get away with a slapped wrist on this occasion.’

‘Oh, thank you, Officer. Thank you very much. I’m on my way. We’ve been so worried about her. I must let our local police know she’s turned up.’ Jackie replaced the receiver and cried. ‘Mack, what are we going to do with her?’

He held her close. ‘Come on, Jackie, at least we know she’s safe. Now tell me what she has been up to.’

‘She was obviously trying to go to France, but they would not allow her to board the ferry because she was drunk. The officer said she put up quite a struggle. Now she is asleep in the cells. Lucky her, I say. She’s asleep while we worry our heads off. I have to go and ‘claim’ her.’

‘
We
have to go and claim her. I’m coming with you, no arguments. We’ll take my car, it’s a bit bigger and she can stretch out on the back seat.’

‘Thanks, you’re an angel. I was hoping you’d say that.’

‘Remember, and I’m sorry to repeat myself, despite everything I happen to love this lady.’

‘I know you do, Mack, and I’m sorry I get cross with her.’

*

‘
Yes, Miss Salter, she’s back with the living and, surprise surprise, not even a sore head for her trouble. I imagine she is quite used to being in that state. The poor lady does have a major problem alright.’

‘Yes, Officer, she does. Would it be possible for me to speak with Trish in her cell before she is released? I think I might be able to make a bit of use of the circumstances.’

‘I don’t see why not. The WPC will take you through.’

Trish was sitting on the bed, her back against the wall and knees drawn up against her chest. She raised her head when Jackie entered the cell and winced as the door closed behind her with a loud clang. She made no effort to get up from the bed.

‘Hi, Trish, what have you been up to this time?’

‘Hello, Jackie, I see they managed to get hold of you then. I only gave them the office number, I couldn’t remember your mobile. I wasn’t sure they understood me anyway. Thank goodness you were there.’

‘Yes and poor Mack was too. He’s waiting outside now and the poor man’s been through hell because of you, Trish. Why did you run away?’

‘Because I got it into my head that nobody cared for me.’

‘How can you think such a thing after what Mack and I have been through with you. It’s about time you started caring for
yourself
and make an effort to get sorted out, otherwise those of us who do care for you are soon not going to bother anymore and will let you drink yourself to death. If that is what you want, fine by me. The choice is yours,Trish, but I can tell you now we are not going to take any more, we’ve had enough.’ Jackie turned and asked the WPC to let her out.